PROJ00479

• Contract/PO #: C153472
• Contractor Name: San Miguel Water Conservancy District
• Water District: 0
• County: San Miguel
• Bill Number: XB 99-999
• Loan Projects - Doc Type: Feasibility Study

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water supply alternatives in the Interim Report were carried into the second part of the study
and three new alternatives were developed and evaluated for a total of six finai alternatives
which are described in this report,

An extensive public information program was utilized during the course of the study to inform
and to solicit advice from local study participants and the public, A total of approximately
twenty meetings were held with local study participants and the public, Newsletters, task
memorandums at the completion of each major work task, and workshops were also used to
involve all interested parties,

Study Area

The study area is located in San Miguel and Montrose Counties of southwestern Colorado and
on the south side of the San Miguel River between Placerville and Naturita, Surface drainage in
the study area is provided by a network of streams which flow generally from southeast to
northwest and into the San Miguel River, The major tributaries to the San Miguel River in the
study area are, from downstream to upstream: Naturita Creek, Beaver Creek, Saltado Creek
and Fall Creek,

Irrigated agriculture has been practiced in the study area since the late 1800's, Currently, the
area is served by three major ditch companies; The Farmers' Water Development Company
which operates the Gurley Ditch and Reservoir system serving the Norwood-Redvale area; the
Lone Cone Ditch & Reservoir Company serving the Norwood-Redvale area; and the Lilylands
Canal and Reservoir Company serving the East Lilylands and Dry Creek Basin areas, In
addition, the privately owned J & M Hughes Ditch serves irrigated pastureland on Beaver Mesa,

Water Availability and Water Demands

The two basic sources of water available for growing crops in the San Miguel Project study area
are natural precipitation and surface streamflows diverted for irrigation, Precipitation over the
study area is very limited, Irrigation water is supplied by diverting streamflows produced by
snowmelt runoff from the mountains to the south, Streamflows are high in the spring but
dwindle in the summer when crop water demands are high, Additional water supplies for
irrigation are needed primarily in the late summer months, In the lower portion of the Norwood-
Redvale service are, there is also a need for additional water at the beginning of the irrigation
season,

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